The maiden edition of Sierra Leone Women’s Premier League kicked off in a match between Mena Queens and Kahunla Queens. The Women’s Premier League Board (WPLB) are hoping the league will provide a platform for young girls and women to showcase their talent. Below are some thoughts on how the WPLB could deliver a sustainable, commercially viable, and high-quality product.
There has to be a Broadcast agreement in place. With sport being one of the few items guaranteed to engage audiences, a free-to-air model with public and private broadcasters (SLBC, AYV, and Star TV) will provide the league with the much-needed exposure it needs at this incipient stage. In future seasons the WPLB, being the rights holder, could enter into an exclusive media rights agreement with one of them and distribute the revenues amongst its 12 clubs. At that point, there would have to be clarity on the content to be delivered (live rights, delayed rights, etc.)
The WPLB can also begin to establish partnership agreements that are industry-specific, and give the biggest sponsors an offer of exclusivity in order to boost its revenues. An immediate source of revenue for the WPLB is the league naming rights. Barclays became well-known as the title sponsor (Barclays Premier League) of England’s top division. Additionally, the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) as the governing body could broker a deal with the men’s Premier League Board to see how it can add the WPL to its range of existing sponsors.
The commentary for the games, especially those selected for broadcast could also be produced in the different local languages of Sierra Leone. To increase fan engagement the WPLB has to also become digitally savvy by having its own website and continuously creating digital content across all platforms for distribution.
Finance is a key obstacle across all sectors, and the owners of the 12 clubs are no exception. The finance department of the WPLB could explore ways of securing credit or other financing facilities for its member clubs. Such a strategy will guarantee all clubs are in a position to compete on any given matchday. The salary levels also have to be strictly monitored by the WPLB; a fair salary ensures players are focused on training and playing time, thereby improving the quality of the league.
The design of the competition is also a key factor in the delivery of any successful sports product. Currently, the league is designed in the traditional round-robin format with clubs playing each other home and away. To generate more excitement at the end of the season, a playoff format could be introduced; for example, amongst the bottom teams to determine relegation.
The regulations surrounding dispute resolution have to be clearly spelt out and shared with each club. They must be in accordance with ‘lex sportiva’ (the body of rules that control and guide the entire sports industry). Disciplinary issues may be passed on to existing bodies within the SLFA such as the Disciplinary Committee or amongst a cross section of the WPLB.
